Leather Sewing Machines – Misleading Sales Claims – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

Leather sewing machines are different. You can’t use any old machine to sew leather so don’t be fooled by what you read in the advertisements.

If you spend even a little time looking for a leather sewing machine on the Internet, you will very soon come across advertising by somewhat sharp sellers who suggest that the machine they are selling is just as good for sewing leather as any of the “real” leather sewing machines. Here are a few of the danger signals to look out for in the descriptions:

“It’s made of metal”

There is a fascination by some sellers of vintage machines with what the body, connecting rods and gears are made of. This is used as a selling point, the implication being that metal is stronger than plastic, so the machine is stronger and better for sewing leather. The fact is that old machines were all metal because when they were made, there was no alternative. Whilst it is true that some heavy duty sewing machines are made of metal and have all-metal components, many do not. It is not a prerequisite.

“Genuine industrial-strength sewing machine”

Some machines are being marketed as leather sewing machines on the back of a claim that they are industrial strength. This is a totally meaningless claim, and is even sometimes backed up by pictures of the machine in question sewing through several layers of leather. The fact is that a lot of these so-called industrial-strength machines are just ordinary home machines. They are being forced to do work they are not designed to do in order to get an impressive picture that implies they are something that they are not. When you look at the samples in these pictures, take a very close look at the quality of the stitching and you will probably see that it’s either loose or the leather is very lightweight.

“Rare”

In the used market, you will sometimes see the word “rare” used in advertisements for old leather sewing machines. This is a big turn-off for me because as soon as I take a quick look at the model to confirm that it’s one you see every day, I know it’s not rare and the seller has already lost all credibility with me. What other lies are hiding in the text? There is a lot to fear when buying used, because you just cannot tell what you are getting and often there is a “no returns” policy. You cannot tell from a few pictures and words whether a connecting rod is loose; a gear is worn out; or some other part is bent or missing.

So, when buying leather sewing machines, be careful in the used market, and even when you are looking at new machines beware of false claims and misleading descriptions. Buy unwisely and you will end up with a machine that may manage to sew leather for a while, but won’t last long.